U.S. patent number 4,385,714 [Application Number 06/210,151] was granted by the patent office on 1983-05-31 for apparatus for and method of spreading gaseous, liquid and powdered materials.
Invention is credited to Miklos Szabo, Vilmos Weiperth.
United States Patent |
4,385,714 |
Szabo , et al. |
May 31, 1983 |
Apparatus for and method of spreading gaseous, liquid and powdered
materials
Abstract
The invention relates to an apparatus for and a method of
spreading gaseous, liquid and powdered materials, that are
applicable to pressing out creamy or foamy materials, too.
According to the method a material to be spread is placed in a tank
into the pressure vessel, overpressure is developed in the pressure
vessel for spreading, whereby the tank moves towards the spreading
nozzle and the spreading nozzle is communicated with the interior
of the tank. The apparatus comprises a pressure vessel with its
interior space divided into two sections, one of them contains the
fuel tank ensuring the overpressure, the other one contains the
material tank sealing airtightly the first section. The invention
provides reliable spreading, not polluting the environment, the
pressure vessel of the apparatus is not to be thrown away, and the
tanks inside the vessel are replaceable.
Inventors: |
Szabo; Miklos (Budapest,
HU), Weiperth; Vilmos (Budapest, HU) |
Family
ID: |
22781777 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/210,151 |
Filed: |
November 25, 1980 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/80; 222/389;
222/82; 239/309 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
83/64 (20130101); B65D 83/75 (20130101); B65D
2583/005 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
83/14 (20060101); B65D 83/00 (20060101); B65D
083/06 (); B67B 007/24 (); B67D 005/54 () |
Field of
Search: |
;239/309,272,271
;222/80,82,83,83.5,94,95,389,401.24 ;169/85 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Kashnikow; Andres
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Young & Thompson
Claims
What we claim is:
1. Apparatus for dispensing material, comprising a casing, a first
sealed container of the material to be dispensed disposed within
said casing, a second sealed container of propellant also disposed
within said casing, means to close said casing, means operable
through said closing casing to pierce the second container thereby
to apply the pressure of the propellant to the outside of said
first container without admixing the propellant with the material
to be dispensed, and means to dispense said material from the
interior of said first container under the pressure of said
propellant to a point outside said casing, said first container
being movable in said casing under the influence of the pressure of
said propellant, piercing means within the casing to pierce the
first container when the first container moves toward the piercing
means under the impetus of said propellant, said dispensing means
comprising a dispensing valve for dispensing material from the
pierced first container.
2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and an end closure cap on the
casing, said end closure cap being removable and said first and
second containers being replaceably removable within said casing
when the end closure cap is removed.
3. Apparatus for dispensing material, comprising a casing, a first
sealed container of the material to be dispensed disposed within
said casing, a second sealed container of propellant also disposed
within said casing, means to close said casing, means operable
through said closed casing to pierce the second container thereby
to apply the pressure of the propellant to the outside of said
first container without admixing the propellant with the material
to be dispensed, and means to dispense said material from the
interior of said first container under the pressure of said
propellant to a point outside said casing, and wall means
separating said first and second containers within the casing, the
propellant moving said wall means toward the first container when
the second container is pierced and the propellant is released
within the casing, said second container being movable with said
wall means.
Description
The object of the present invention is an apparatus for and a
method of spreading gaseous, powdered materials and those of liquid
state. In the following description the liquid materials include
also the creamy and foamy materials of relatively low viscosity
that may be pressed out by using the proposed apparatus or
method.
The method according to the present invention affords spreading or
pressing out the mentioned materials safely, using fuel materials
for developing overpressure which do not pollute the environment
and avoid propellants used hitherto, while the apparatus can be
repeatedly reused owing to the replaceable inner parts, can be
manufactured inexpensively in comparison to the known devices and
is of long life. The apparatus does not need skill in handling.
Several methods and apparatus are known for spreading and pressing
out materials. The siphon and the so-called aerosol products are
the best-known of them. Their common feature is that they have a
pressure vessel for containing material to be spread wherein
overpressure is developed by a proper material, namely by carrier
gas (so called propellants). The overpressure is used for spreading
or pressing out the material filling up the pressure vessel through
a valve that opens in the desired direction.
The propellant enters the pressure vessel of the siphons from
outside, from a replaceable tank. The pressure vessel can be
repeatedly reused, the material to be spread can be repeatedly
refilled. This construction is preferable if material of a
respectable quantity is to be prepared for spreading or especially
preferable if chemical reaction is required between the material to
be spread and the propellant providing overpressure.
A characteristic of the aerosol products is that their material to
be spread and the propellant are filled in the tank under
overpressure. Another characteristic is that refilling them being
very complicated they are generally products for single use, and
they have to be thrown away after use.
The aerosol products comprise fluorohydrocarbons such as those
trademarked Freon, Frigon, Kaltron, etc., as propellants. The
fluorohydrocarbons are chemically inert and as inert gases would be
very advantageous. Their environment pollutant effect, and the
eventual decomposition of the ozone shield of the atmosphere in
their presence are widely investigated, the use of hydrocarbons,
however, has been already banned in many countries on account of
their presumed negative consequences. This tendency is expected to
spread throughout the world. Wide range experiments for replacing
hydrocarbons are being made, but a material being similarly inert,
cheap with favourable features of use has not been found up to now.
Generally the other propellants are relatively expensive or their
chemical reaction with the material to be spread is unfavourable
for use.
Apart from the propellant being eventually dangerous for the
environment, the aerosol products are relatively expensive: the
high cost of the container is not commensurate with the value of
the material to be spread, and their single use feature owing to
safety requirements significantly increases the cost of production.
In case of material to be spread being incendiary or of explosive
risk, the empty vessels require special care, because the material
left behind inevitably in the vessel may cause accidents when
opening the vessel carelessly.
The methods of and apparatus for refilling the aerosol vessels are
complicated and not hygienic and moreover do not prevent the
content of the vessel from getting into the atmosphere, in this way
further polluting environment. Another drawback is that the
refilled vessel can not be sealed safely but by employing more
expensive materials and constructions further increasing costs.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of and
apparatus for spreading materials without polluting the environment
and which is cheaper than all the known methods, eliminating the
drawbacks mentioned above. Another object is to provide a method
and apparatus that can be repeatedly used, is unexpensive, operated
by fuel not polluting the environment, and whose handling does not
require skill.
The invention is based on the perception that the known pressure
vessel also can be used for spreading material in such a way, that
propellant (fuel) and material to be spread, prepared separately in
a cheap container, that can be thrown away, can be placed into it.
If the fuel is packed under overpressure, then the material tank
containing the material to be spread can be opened inside the
pressure vessel and then the material can be spread safely.
There is provided a method for spreading gaseous, liquid and
powdered materials, comprising the steps of placing the material to
be spread in a tank into a first space section of a pressure vessel
adjacent to a spreading nozzle, placing a fuel in a tank into a
second space section of the pressure vessel remote from the
spreading nozzle, developing overpressure in the second space
section, hereby lessening the volume of the first space section and
connecting the first space section to the spreading nozzle
according to need, for spreading.
Another object of the invention is an apparatus for spreading
gaseous, liquid and powdered materials, comprising an airtight
sealed pressure vessel having a first and a second space section, a
spreading nozzle connected to the first space section and
preferably having a valve, a fuel tank placed in the second space
section, and filled under overpressure, a mechanism for pricking
the fuel tank connected to the second space section, and a material
tank containing the material to be spread placed in the first space
section.
Preferably, the material tank of the apparatus according to the
present invention provides airtight sealing for the second space
section containing the fuel and it simultaneously bears against the
wall of the pressure vessel ensuring sliding.
Preferably, the pressure vessel comprises a valve communicating
with the anterior space.
Preferably, the first space section of the apparatus comprises a
proper mechanism, for example an inlet tube communicating with the
spreading nozzle, for pricking the material tank.
Highly preferably, the second space is sealed by an end cap secured
with a screw-thread or a bayonet-lock or otherwise properly
secured, and the end cap comprises the evacuation valve, the
pricking mechanism, preferably comprising a pricker.
By the method and apparatus according to the present invention
powdered, gaseous materials and those of proper viscosity can be
effectively spread, atomized or pressed out without polluting
environment. Compressed air or other similarly cheap, easy to sell
gas can be used as fuel, as it does not come into contact with the
material to be spread. If desired, a two-component chemical system
can also be used as fuel. There is no need for throwing away the
pressure vessel after use, new tanks of fuel and material to be
spread can be placed into it, and the apparatus can be put into
service very simply. In this way a new commercial family of goods
can be developed incorporating interchangeable members.
The present invention will now be described, by way of example,
with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein the
FIGURE is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus according to the
present invention.
Different methods according to the present invention can be
provided. Basically a pressure vessel is suggested comprising a
spreading nozzle with valve. As the lower end cap of the vessel is
removed, the separated material tank is placed into it, next to the
spreading nozzle, and the fuel tank is placed on the top of the
material tank. The material tank is used for closing the path of
the gas in the direction of the spreading nozzle. As the end cap is
screwed on or otherwise sealing is provided, the opening of the
material tank is ensured by a pricking mechanism. The developed
overpressure moves the material tank towards the spreading nozzle.
The spreading nozzle may be, for example, a valve comprising an
inlet tube and the tube rips the wall of the tank and as it sinks
into the material tank at the same time, the opening of the valve
enables spreading.
Another obvious method is that after pricking the material tank and
opening the valve, a pricker or other sharp member situated in the
space of the material tank effectuates the ripping of the material
tank in the pressure vessel sealed as described above. In this
method the valve can be omitted, the material exits immediately in
the desired direction as soon as the material tank is ripped.
Another method is that the pressure vessel is divided into two
parts and their sealing effectuates both the air-tight sealing of
the pressure vessel and the opening of the fuel tank. A movable
dividing wall is effected between the two parts, and the spreading
nozzle of the material tank is covered with a layer of easily
rippable material. This way a spreading device suited for single
use with single assembly, comprising a spreading nozzle ripped
under the overpressure developed by opening the fuel tank is
obtained.
The methods described above naturally do not embrace all the
possible methods according to the present invention. Those skilled
in the art working on the basis of the above and following
instructions can draw up a number of different designs each of them
realizing the basic idea of the invention.
The base of the apparatus also suitable for carrying out the
proposed method is a pressure vessel 5 sealed on one side by a
spreading nozzle, a valve mechanism, in this case comprising an
exit tube 4, a valve 3, and an atomizer 1 supported by a
fingerpiece 2, and on the other side by an end cap 13. The end cap
13 connects to the pressure vessel 5 through packing 7 and is
secured to the vessel with a screw thread, bayonet-lock (not shown
in the FIGURE) or other proper mechanism. The end cap 13 comprises
an evacuation valve 14 communicating with the internal space of the
pressure vessel and a pricking mechanism comprising a pricker 6 and
a push button 8.
The steps of operating the apparatus of the present invention are
provided as follows.
A material tank 9 containing a material 10 to be dispensed is
placed into the pressure vessel 5. The wall of the material tank 9
next to the end cap 13 is pressure-tight while its wall next to the
spreading nozzle and to the valve mechanism, respectively, can be
easily ripped. The wall next to the end cap 13 can be a stiff wall
15 or an elastic wrapper 16 bearing tightly against and guided by
the inside wall of the pressure vessel (shown in the FIGURE). After
the material tank 9 has been inserted, a propellant tank 11
containing a propellant 12, for example, compressed air, is
inserted. The pressure vessel 5 is sealed by the end cap 13. After
sealing the pricker 6 is pricked into the wall of the propellant
tank 11 by pressing the push button 8. The energizing propellant 12
presses the stiff wall 15 or the elastic wrapper 16 of the material
tank 9 against the wall of the pressure vessel 5 and hereby blocks
its own further passage. As a result of the developed overpressure
the material tank 9 moves towards the spreading nozzle and in this
case it is pricked by the wall of the inlet tube 4 whereupon a
communication is effected between the spreading nozzle and the
internal space of the material tank 9. Upon opening the spreading
nozzle by pressing on fingerpiece 2, the material 10 to be spread,
contained in the material tank 9 is forced by the overpressure to
exit through the atomizer 1 transformed into tiny drops. As the
material tank 9 keeps deflating, the pressure moves the wall
dividing the internal space of the pressure vessel 5 always more
and more against the spreading nozzle. As soon as the material tank
is empty the propellant 12 left is removed by using the evacuation
valve 14 and the deflated tanks in the pressure vessel 5 can be
removed by opening the end cap 13 and can be replaced by new
ones.
The method according to the present invention enables an effective
apparatus to be built with remarkably inexpensive, simply
manufactured elements. The tanks can be thrown away after use, the
fuel used can be selected from inexpensive gases not polluting the
natural environment, the apparatus is explosion- and fire-proof
even in case of violent effects. The material tanks can be filled
with materials of various kinds.
The apparatus and method according to the present invention provide
prefabricated material tanks of pleasing and diversified exterior
for dispensing, and their content can be checked easily and without
errors. It should be noted, that the material tank may contain the
fuel tank for providing easier sale, transport and use. The
invention results in a 50-80 percent decrease in cost compared to
the conventional constructions. The encasement of the tanks, that
may be thrown away, is of small size and the apparatus much less
pollutes the environment than the previous constructions.
* * * * *